The Andertons Music Podcast

Christoph Kemper – The Captain Meets

This time, the Captain isn’t meeting someone known for their guitar playing ability. No, Christoph Kemper is far more influential. Getting into music as a keys player, Christoph developed his first virtual analogue synth and founded Access Music. He then moved onto guitars, inspired by digital amps.

As you might guess from the name, Christoph is the founder of the company Kemper, who make the guitar gamechanger that is the Profiler – a modelling amp able to create any sound you could possibly imagine. The Captain finds out more about the man behind one of the most influential products in modern music.

Walter Trout – The Captain Meets

The Captain was extremely excited about this one. Old school bluesman Walter Trout is an exceptional guitarist with an ear for a big tune and an inspirational back story.

He made it out of the suburbs growing up on sixties jazz and the big names in rock and roll – eventually joining rock legend John Mayall’s band. Walter Trout recovered from hardship battling drugs and alcohol, and is now over 30 years sober, still on the road with his band and an enviable discography behind him.

Pete Thorn – The Captain Meets

Pete Thorn is one of the most popular and respected gear demonstrators on YouTube, known for his professionalism and immensely versatile guitar playing. However, Pete is also a world-class session musician who has played with the likes of Chris Cornell, Jewel and Don Henley, with several solo albums to his name too.

Originally from Edmonton, Canada, Thorn moved to Los Angeles in his late teens to attend the prestigious Musician's Institute in Los Angeles. He has been a prominent, in-demand player on the LA scene ever since, and regularly travels the world with international acts as well.

During his European clinic tour, Pete stopped by at the Andertons studio and sat down with The Captain to discuss his journey to guitar greatness, as well as his long-time association with Suhr guitars. Giving us a full rundown on his new and highly-innovative PT-15 I.R. Signature Valve Head, Pete shows us why he's such a "guitar nerd" - in his own words!

Mark Agnesi – The Captain Meets

There's far more to Mark Agnesi than just that whole "play authentic" thing (you know what we're talking about). As the General Manager at Norman's Rare Guitars for almost a decade, Agnesi made his name presenting their popular 'Guitar of the Day' YouTube series; becoming a mainstay on their well-subscribed channel.

Head-hunted by Gibson in early 2019, Agnesi was appointed the company's Director of Brand Experience; shortly after Gibson unveiled its back-to-basics, ‘Core Collection’ guitar lineup. As a life-long fan of Gibson, Mark's passion for the brand was evident when he spoke with The Captain back in early October.

Discussing his personal collection of instruments and the difficult decision to relocate to Nashville from Los Angeles, Mark also promised plenty of exciting new products from Gibson. But Mark was particularly excited about the gear that Epiphone will be launching in early 2020. We'll have to wait until the NAMM Show to see what they have in store!

Martin Miller & Tom Quayle - The Captain Meets

Tom Quayle and Martin Miller are spearheading a wave of young guitarists who are out to change the game. Combining a commitment to technique, a passion for jazz harmony and a love for the shred & fusion greats, they've forged an incredible sound that's as precise as it is dynamic. 

Tom Quayle started playing at the age of 15, initially preferring rock styles before gravitating towards jazz and fusion. He graduated from Leeds College of Music in 2002, and set about leaving his mark on the guitar world. He's since performed with the likes of John Petrucci, Dweezil Zappa, Greg Howe and many more.

Martin Miller studied at the renowned Carl-Maria-von-Weber college of music in Dresden, Germany, where he cut his teeth on the local performance circuit. Since then, he's hosted clinics and masterclasses worldwide and contributed to countless guitar tuition sits, becoming an invaluable resource for musicians everywhere.

Both now Ibanez artists with their own signature guitars, Tom & Martin stopped by the Andertons studio to give us the lowdown! 

That Pedal Show - The Captain Meets

Dan Steinhardt and Mick Taylor have become household names in the guitar community. With their popular 'That Pedal Show' YouTube channel becoming a hub for stompbox fanatics seeking valuable insight into their favourite circuits and designs, there's actually far more to the dynamic duo than just their successful video content.

While Dan is the founder of 'The GigRig' - a company that specialises in pedalboard solutions and manufactures the acclaimed G2 switching system; Mick spent years working for guitar magazines as a journalist, and also co-hosted our 'Acoustic Paradiso' video series on Andertons TV!

The 'That Pedal Show' pair popped down to our video studio to share stories about their musical journeys and more with the always-inquisitive Captain Anderton. Going way back and speaking about their inspirations, Dan and Mick also talk vintage gear and their favourite pedal builders.

Steve Vai - The Captain Meets

Steve Vai – a true living legend. With over 15 million album sold and three Grammy awards under his belt, he’s among the most decorated musicians of all time. He’s also one of the nicest people we’ve ever had the pleasure of interviewing!

Sit back and enjoy over an hour of pure wisdom, from guitar practice techniques to profound life lessons – and everything in between. Vai goes into detail about his first musical steps in a non-musical family, learning guitar with Joe Satriani, embracing being an instrumental frontman and much more. Thanks for stopping by Steve!

Tora Dahle Aagård - The Captain Meets

Tora Dahle Aagård is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and Chapman artist that is making waves – not just in her native Norway, but across the music industry. She combines incredible, highly technical guitar playing with a musicality and presence that belies her 24 years of age. Tora views the guitar as not just a separate musical entity, but as an extension of her vocals. It's this unique view that has helped to separate her from the rest of her peers.

In this wide-ranging interview, The Captain and Tora discuss everything from musical influences, why she decided to pick up the guitar in the first place, and her new album. Tora even gives us a first-hand demonstration using her excellent Chapman V2 ML1 Traditional Standard! Enjoy...

Eric Gales - The Captain Meets

Guitar lovers. Sit back, relax and enjoy the sounds and tales of the legend that is Eric Gales. In this episode of The Captain Meets, Lee sits down with this incredible blues-rock guitarist and gets deep in conversation about the players past, present and future.

In this beautifully honest interview, Eric talks us through some of his more recent releases, has his first encounter with a looper pedal (spoiler, it's unreal) and treats us to some all-round inspiring jams.

A truly inspirational individual and one hell of a player. We thoroughly enjoyed having him join us!

Rabea Massaad - The Captain Meets

Rabea has worked with Andertons for a long time now, but do we really know the man behind the afro? The baritone-wielding guitar virtuoso lets us into his crazy world of music.

Growing up in Leeds with musical parents, Rabea began his musical journey as a drummer before being forced out of action and onto the guitar. Rabea slowly but surely discovered his unique blend of heavy riffing and bluesy lead playing. Now he’s a full-on guitar gear nerd, Chapman Guitars signature artist, lead guitarist in instrumental band Toska and Andertons presenter.